ALL that remains of an almost half-a-million dollar trial designed to spruce up the centre of Cardiff is a planter box, two trees and temporary "parklet" structures on Kelton Street.
Lake Macquarie City Council installed the parklets, which are temporary outdoor spaces with trees, planter boxes, tables and seating, from December.
It was an idea most businesses weren't thrilled with from the beginning, Northlakes Chamber of Commerce Cardiff Business and Industry president Max McCorkell said.
But he said to have the investment ripped back out was another example of "grandiose plans" for the suburb that never eventuate.
He said residents had been left with little more than a blank wall where a $12,000 mural used to be, and artificial grass "people trip on".
"It's been a debacle, that would be the best word," he said.
"Before the parklets, I made a list of things the council has promised us in the last 10 years that didn't come to fruition, and it was a long list.
"It was said by a councillor one night that we are the 'diamond' of the Lake Macquarie City Council area, and either we haven't been polished or cut or we're a diamond in the rough nobody wants anything to do with."
Before the installation of the parklets, a reference group made up of business and community leaders was established to work with the council after issues were raised with the potential closure of Victoria Street for the trial.
Locals were concerned that the parklets would exacerbate parking problems in the CBD, impact traffic flow and received mixed initial reactions from business owners.
Mr McCorkell said there should have been more community consultation, both in the lead up to the project, and to let people know parts of it would be removed.
He said there were elements of the parklet pilot that could have been retained for the community, such as the $12,000 mural on the side of the post office that had since been removed.
"We had a marvellous artwork on the building that the council couldn't organise to manage," he said.
"There was no warning they were going to remove the parklets, they just disappeared, I came to work one day and they were gone."
A Lake Macquarie City Council spokesperson said the council did consult the reference group on the project and it had an agreement with Australia Post that required the artwork be taken down at the end of the trial.
"The parklets were part of a trial using temporary structures to provide more public space in Cardiff," he said.
"The time period where the parklets were installed was determined in consultation with the Community Reference Group that was established for this project.
"Staff intend to investigate developing an ongoing parklet program where council invites expressions of interest (EOI) from business owners, chambers of commerce or community groups to host a parklet in town and neighbourhood centres across Lake Macquarie."
The parklets that were removed from Victoria Street have been relocated to one of the council's holiday parks while it investigates an EOI process.
Ensuring there was adequate consultation for any future use of the parklets would be important, the council spokesman said.
The parklet pilot program was funded with $496,470 from the state government's Streets as Shared Spaces Program.
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